Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-10-13
Description of Sioux City's Great
Corn Palace---The Only One
Ever Erected.
Complete History Of the Corn Jubilee
From Opening to Close-A Mag
niifcent Triumph.
Grand Pioneer, Civic, Military and In
dastrial Parades-Successful Com
peutOrs for Prize.
Elegant Displays Of Mammoth Corn and
Other Cereals-The Palace Visited
by go, 900 People.

Is
agricultural trixmphs ever achieved in any
cline or age. This magnificent temple to
the honor Of tho soil has far outsrown the
most sanguine expectations and brightest
hopes of its uriginators, and reared Its
arched domes To the sky, complete in its
spender, unrivaled in its originality
fitting tribute of an appreciative people to
an abundant prosperity. Comprising an
area of ground $50 feet on Fifth street BY
15D feet on jackson street, its entire *
terror surface from base to dome was one
mass of cereals, not careles5ly flung to-
gether but artistically following some
unique device, and all dovetailing irio
each other and blending in rich color and
shade, forming one great, grand, har-
monlous whole,
The palace swells into its largest dome
Just east Of the center, and from the ele-
waited flagstaff flies u scarlet banner bearing
the worus "Sloux City," Ditecly aboye
the arch of the dome on the south side
King Corn, in all the sptendor of gold aud
purple array, reol ming IN his char OF yell
low corn, bears the wand of command,
KING" East, west and north of the Sioux
City flag tioated the banners of Minnesota,
Nebraska and Dakota, Fl uniting their well
come to ull.
Over earh entrance and ut their Sides
mo.toes in various colored corn, in kernel
or cob, cut horizontally. lengthwise or not
at all, blending in every conceivable mnh-
ner, added their mite OF beauty to the palace,
while the great, round windows, latticed
with com, and testooned with stnnged
corn, showing, perhaps, to the outside
some mimic swine, or closed with canvas,
on which an eminent artist had poured the
different Stages or progress IN our civiliza-
ton, compr. sed still another feature of this
glory OF the soil, opening up new tel of
art, tbs magni, ude and diversity of which
was never before conceived.
Without it seems as if the elimination of
agricultural arl had been attained, but
within the fallacy of such theory was DEM
almost dazzling combina ions and blend
ings of the homsliest Of produce into ape
ture of SURPRISING beauty. No such mul-
tipliclty of idsas could have emanated from
one brain, but are ocular evidences.of the
united genius, inspiration, and pocket
books of an ardent, refined people, in q
vast enterprise which has grown. wi h
their inception, into veritable palace be-
You'd rivalry.
Entering on Fifth street the throng that
cons antly pou ed in blockaded to gaze in
wondering admiration on a landscape
painted" in corn, which portrayed flying
buffalo just escaping the prowess of an in
coming train, while above was tho sugges-
tive motto, westward, Hor' and near the
setting sun WIS Sieux City. At the night
hung another picture-the birch canon !,
bow and arrow-while at the left, and di-
rec,ly opposite, was "corned" the plow,
hoe and rake, making the Significance of
ing for its designers and executors an ar
tistic genius. A mammoth corn bell with q
pumpkin as clapper, arches of autumn
leaves Overbanging lattice work of corn,
trimmings of wheat, among which is u
beautifully made umbrella, the new rail-
road bridge in miniature corn with pop
corn railway, with miniature engine, lovely
white bells OF popped corn, suspended
here and there, log house and surround
ings of sugar cane stalks, canoes laden
with corn and having maize pilots and
oarsmsn, cobwebs of shelled corn, the
frmament with its sun of corn for day and
stars and moon for night, arches, cornu-
copias, artificial cereal flowers. festoons OF
pumpkin rings, decorations of wild grasses,
and mammoth displays of cereals and
vegetables, each and every ono arranged
with an eye to art, gave but o faint and
elimmering idea of the marvellous concep-
ton and wealth Of beauty exemplifed in
the wonder Of wonders, the Corn Palace.
From far and near the people of the great
Northwest responded to the sentiment that
prompted the creation of this beautious
temple to Ceres, SO much so, indeed, that
the space allowed for exhibits was cut down
to one fifth that originally planned and still
there was lack of room. No individual ex-
hibit was allowed. The displays were all
made by townships and counties and never
before was there such grand showing of
the finer products of the soil. One could
scarcely realize that nature yields such
mammoth vegetables and cereals rs were
in profusion displayed
The city was iairly bewildered with its
own enthusiasm, to say nothing of the
thousands of strangers who caught the in
to1icating spirit of the Jubilee, and poured
out their means and appreciation wherever
there was chance to voice their sentiment.
Up and down the main thoroughfares in
every establishment, lrom barber shop tc
banking house, from Chinese laundry to
real estate Office, from peanut stand to ele-
CANT store and private house, the decorat We
fever took fast hold. On Pierce street be.
low Fifth, extending across the street, was
erected the elegant arch Of welcome, q
maeterpiece Of art, both as 10 design, exc.
cution md coloring. Designs fashioned
from corn met the eye at every turn, nc
two alike, but each attractive. The inge.
nuity of the Sioux City merchant developed
some rarely original signs. One firm
showed in its front window miniature
corn palace; another snnded floor sur.
rounded by corn, in which we're pennet
two live pigs, living in regular pig fashion
another u large artificial white Berkshir.
aboard Union Pacific freight car; shocks
clocks, boots, bells-in fact, everythin,
that mind could conceive was represented
| In the favorite cereal-corn.
Never in the history of Sioux City or th'
Northwest did any thought SO take hold o
aud enamor the people as the building o
the Corn Palace. Without defin te con
ception of what it was ultimately to be
having had no predecessor, it grew will
the thoughts of the people and their inspi
ration grew with its growth, till it stands
monument of symetrioal grandeur, poem
Of coloring, a creation of beauty whic
pen cannot picture, conception grasp, o
thought compass.
The formal opening of this beauHfu
| temple OF cereals occurred Monday even
ing, October Sd, there being fully 500
people present. After a choice selec
ton the band, Mayor Cleland, on be
half Of the people of Sioux City, made th
address of welcome, extending cordil
| greeting to one and all. The dedicate,
address was delivered by Hon. Chas. q
Van Wyck, ex-senator from Nebraska.
was in every way worthy the author, partic
uhrly the opening and closing, and mag
nifcent tribute to the enterprise of Siou
City and the industry of the great North
west. The balance of the evening wa
given up to selections from the several fin
bands present, and in viewing the attractiv
edifce, and the fine exhibits made by va
rious counties and townships. Among th
more notable displays of farm proluc.
were those of Lincoln, Madison, Union an
Clay counties, Dakota; Cedar, Cunning
and Dakota counties, Nebraska; Plymouth
Buena Vista, Sioux, Osceola, Monona an
Woodbury. counties, Iowa. In the dspln
of the latter county, the following town
CHI hol IN ovhth;fp.